Bipolar plates for use in conduction-cooled electrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468691-B2
Application number	US-201615203014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 9, 2012
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards the design of bipolar plates for use in conduction-cooled electrochemical cells. Heat generated during the operation of the cell is removed from the active area of the cell to the periphery of the cell via the one or more bipolar plates in the cell. The one or more bipolar plates are configured to function as heat sinks to collect heat from the active area of the cell and to conduct the heat to the periphery of the plate where the heat is removed by traditional heat transfer means. The boundary of the one or more bipolar plates can be provided with heat dissipation structures to facilitate removal of heat from the plates. To function as effective heat sinks, the thickness of the one or more bipolar plates can be determined based on the rate of heat generation in the cell during operation, the thermal conductivity (“k”) of the material selected to form the plate, and the desired temperature gradient in a direction orthogonal to the plate (“ΔT”).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
an active area comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, an electrolyte membrane disposed between the first and the second electrodes, and a first flow structure adjacent the first electrode;
a bipolar plate adjacent the first flow structure, the bipolar plate comprising a plurality of cooling channels;
wherein the plurality of cooling channels run through the bipolar plate perpendicular to a surface of the bipolar plate, and the plurality of cooling channels include a first set and a second set of cooling channels located on opposite sides of the active area that are spaced along a perimeter of the active area;
wherein a first portion of the first set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a first flow path in a first direction and a second portion of the first set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a second flow path in a second direction; and
wherein the first flow path and second flow path are fluidly connected in series and the first direction is opposite the second direction.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the cooling channels increases approaching end zones of the active area.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one set of the cooling channels has cooling channels with about equal diameters.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one set of the cooling channels has cooling channels with variable diameters.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein at least one set of the cooling channels is aligned equidistant along the perimeter of the active area.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , further comprising a second bipolar plate.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , further comprising a second flow structure between the second electrode and the second bipolar plate.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein the second bipolar plate has a plurality of cooling channels that align with the plurality of cooling channels of the first bipolar plate.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and the second flow structures comprises a porous substrate.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and the second flow structures comprises a compacted porous metallic substrate.

11. An electrochemical cell stack comprising:
two or more electrochemical cells, at least one electrochemical cell comprising:
an active area comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, an electrolyte membrane disposed between the first and the second electrodes, and a first flow structure adjacent the first electrode;
a bipolar plate adjacent the first flow structure, the bipolar plate comprising a plurality of cooling channels;
wherein the plurality of cooling channels run through the bipolar plate perpendicular to a surface of the bipolar plate, and the plurality of cooling channels includes a first set and a second set of cooling channels located on opposite sides of the active area that are spaced along a perimeter of the active area;
wherein a first portion of the first set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a first flow path in a first direction and a second portion of the first set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a second flow path in a second direction;
wherein a first portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a third flow path in the first direction and a second portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a fourth flow path in the second direction; and
wherein the first flow path and second flow path are fluidly connected in series, the third flow path and fourth flow path are fluidly connected in series, and the first direction is opposite the second direction.

12. The electrochemical stack of claim 11 , wherein the spacing between the cooling channels increases approaching end zones of the active area.

13. The electrochemical stack of claim 11 , wherein at least one set of the cooling channels has cooling channels with about equal diameters.

14. The electrochemical stack of claim 11 , wherein at least one set of the cooling channels is aligned equidistant along the perimeter of the active area.

15. The electrochemical stack of claim 14 , wherein diameters of the cooling channels decrease approaching end zones of the active area.

16. The electrochemical stack of claim 11 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell further comprises a second bipolar plate and a second flow structure between the second electrode and the second bipolar plate, wherein the second bipolar plate has a plurality of cooling channels that align with the plurality of cooling channels of the first bipolar plate.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a third flow path in the first direction and a second portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a fourth flow path in the second direction; and
wherein the third flow path and fourth flow path are fluidly connected in series and the first direction is opposite the second direction.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cooling channels include a plurality of fins.

19. The electrochemical cell stack of claim 11 , wherein a first portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a third flow path in the first direction and a second portion of the second set of cooling channels are fluidly connected in parallel to define a fourth flow path in the second direction; and
wherein the third flow path and fourth flow path are fluidly connected in series and the first direction is opposite the second direction.

20. The electrochemical cell stack of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cooling channels include a plurality of fins.

Assignees

• Nuvera Fuel Cells Llc

Inventors

• Blanchet Scott
• Lunt Benjamin
• Domit Edward
• Van Boeyen Roger

Classifications

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/0256

  Vias, i.e. connectors passing through the separator material · CPC title

• H01M8/0267 Primary

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title